Although it may have uses in other dividers, the invention constitutes an improvement of the carton divider disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,818 (Raubenheimer), and therefor will be described in connection with such use.
The inadequacies of prior carton dividers and the improvement contributed by that invention are adequately described in that U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,818, whose specification is incorporated by reference in the present specification. Briefly, that invention provides a carton divider whose partitions and cross partitions are slotted in a particular manner so that they will interlock fairly rigidly with each other when the divider is collapsed in one direction as well as when the divider is open and erected. Yet, when the divider is collapsed in the opposite direction, its partitions and cross partitions readily disengage from each other so that one or more of the partitions may be easily removed and replaced, if necessary.
In that invention the interlock between each longitudinal and transverse partition is provided at the intersecting slot connection by respective tabs which are formed on each of the partitions and project laterally across the imaginary axis of the connection slot of each partition and which respectively engage a tab-receiving opening formed in the interconnected partition. When the partitions are interlocked, an edge of each tab is in abutting engagement with an oppositely facing edge of the tab-receiving cutout in the adjacent partition. Thus, there are two vertically spaced apart and oppositely directed abutment interfaces along the length of the connection to prevent disengagement movement of the partitions in either direction along the line of their intersection.
In the preferred embodiment of that invention a partition support tab, located adjacent to the open end of the slot in each partition and projecting laterally part way across the slot, promotes rigidity in the erected divider by holding each interlocking partition against the opposite side of the slot. The snug-fit engagement of the locking tab within the tab-receiving opening of the interlocked partition holds the latter firmly in the same direction below its midpoint, thus rigidly maintaining the interlock.
When the thus assemblied divider is collapsed in one direction with its interlocked partition extending parallel and adjacent to one another, the tab on each partition continues to project through the tab-receiving opening of the other partition and overlaps an edge of the opening which lies along the imaginary axis of the connection. Thus, the invention contained in that patent is characterized by the overlapped condition of each tab with respect to its adjacent, interlocked partition when the divider is collapsed in one direction, and the appearance on the same side of the collapsed divider of both of the oppositely directed tabs in any such pair thereof. When the assembled divider is collapsed in the reverse direction the tab interlock is not maintained, and the partitions can be easily separated. Thus, the assembled divider can be easily disassembled by simply reversing the direction of collapse of the divider.
Because of the novel interlocking arrangement, considerable rigidity of the divider in its assembled condition is attained regardless of the width of the interlock slot of each partition. Thus, the slot width is made relatively wide as compared with the thickness of each partition, for ease of assembly, yet a rigid interlock is achieved.
The present invention is intended to still further improve the interlock both in the erected condition and in the collapsed condition.